sperry



E. A. SPERRY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE:

APPLICATION FILED JAN-7,1915.

1,1 94,889. PatentedAug.15,191('i.

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E. A. SPERRY. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-7.1915.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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E. A. SPERRY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7. 1915.

1,194,889. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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ELMER A. SPERRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Original application filed December 10, 1892, Serial No. 454, 752. Divided and this application filed January 7, 1915. Serial No. 962. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

borough Brooklyn, New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines; and it is concerned more particularly with devices for supplying combustible mixture to the combustion cylinders of such engines.

The invention hereinafter set forth is disclosed inmy application Serial No. 454,752, filed Dec. 10, 1892, of which the present application is a division.

Although the engine hereinafter described may be designed to operate with any suitable liquid or gaseous fuel, yet the arrangement of parts here shown for forming and supplying combustible mixture to the engine contemplates more especially the use of a liquid fuel, such as gasol'ene or the like.

Prior'to my invention the employment of I such fuel has ofiered certain difiiculties and disadvantages which the presentinvention overcomes. Thus, it has been found very difficult to properly regulate the flow of gasolene, for example, from a supply tank to the point at which it is to be mixed in finely divided form,-such as vapor, with air for use in the engine; and also to obtain a thorough and homogeneous mixture of fuel and air in proper proportions suitable for use over a wide range of engine speeds and under varying conditions of operation. Moreover, in using gasolene, the odor of the fuel has been an objectionable and heretofore unvoidable feature of engines employing it. According to the present invention I control the flow of liquid fuel to the feed orificeor nozzle by interposing in the piping connections between the main supply tank and said nozzle, a device arranged to maintain a relatively small supply of fuel at a constant level. somewhat below the level of the nozzle outlet Liquid fuel is supplied under pressure from the supply tank to said device which operates automatically to permit flow of fuel in amount sufiicient to maintain the predetermined level of the intermediate supply, and to cut ofi flow of fuel in excess of such amount. The flow of fuel is thus al ways proportional to the requirements of the composition to use in the engine' Preferably both air supplies are operated or maintained at superatmospheric pressure.

The objectionable odor heretofore usually characterizing engines using volatile fuel may be avoided according to the present invention by inclosing in a hood or canopy such parts of the fuel conducting and controlling system as are more or less liable to leak, and by causing air to pass through said hood or canopy to the intake of the engine, whereby all odor, fumes, etc., due to fuel leakage are removed and whatever heat value they contain is utilized in the engine. These and other advantageous features of the invention will appear more fully as the description proceeds, and will be pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example one form of internal combustion engine in which the principles of my invention may be embodied.

In these drawings: Figurelisa plan view of the engine, partly in section; Fig. 2 is a detail; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section; Fig. i is a cross sectional view showing more or less diagrammatically the relative position of the engine cylinders, etc; Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically the fuel supply tank and piping connections; Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, of a suitable constant level device, and a fume col lect g h d or canopy surrounding the same; Fig. 7 is a detail view of the fuel supply nozzle and its controlling valve; and Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically an assemblage of the fuel supplying and controlling devices with the engine proper.

I For the sake of example, and not intending thereby to limit the application of the various features of the invention to any particular type of internal combustion engine, I have illustrated the invention as embodied in the present instance in a compound engine. The specific engine here chosen for the purpose of explaining the invention in one of its practical forms, 'is arranged to take a precompressed charge, formed by separately compressing air and then introducing fuel thereinto at or just prior to entry into the engine intake. The general arrangement of engine parts will e briefly described first, and the'fuel feeding devices will then be considered in detail. Referring more particularlyto Figs. 1 to 4, the engine here shown comprises two high pressure or combustion cylinders D and D surrounded by a casing C, said cylinders being side by side and in tandem with the much larger cylinder inclosed by casing C,

this larger cylinder serving both as a low pressure or expansion cylinder, and also as an air compressor cylinder as will subsequently appear. The joint between the two casings is shown at D", the parts being held together by ears, bolts, or any other suitable means. The cylinders may be water jacketed as at F G, cooling fluid entering below through pipe H valved at H and leaving through G. The cylinders are closed by suitable heads I.

The high pressure pistonsD and D ,are hollow and are closed at the right hand ends, while at the left they open to the low pressure piston C, to which they may be flexibly connected by means of rods E and ball and socket connections, which latter are held in position by means of clamps E provided with bolts E. The low pressure piston C is also hollow or cup shaped, being closed at the left to present a low pressure working face, the other or inner face toward the right constituting an air compressor face. Piston rods B"'connect the piston C to cross head B, to which is secured pitman B, which in turn is arranged to drive crank shaft A car rying large fly wheel A and suitably supported by engine base A. Suitable .provision is made in casing C for accommodating the moving piston rods B", such provision being indicated at I in Fig. 4.

L is the fuel intake. valve for cylinder D and igniting device 0, heated by burner O, communicates with the intake end of D by way ofpassages in a. removable cap member 0 Passages J, controlled by valves J serve to conduct hot combustion gases at relatively high pressure from the forward ends of the high pressure cylinders D and D to the expansion chamber C? at the rear of the low pressure piston. Each of the valves J is held to its seat by a spring J 5 pressing against the head J of stem J. These valves are arranged to open alternately, this operation being effected and properly timed in accordance with the four-cycle operation of the engine by means of suitable valve actuating mechanism (Fig. 1), said mechanism comprising in this instance levers a." pivotedat a. One endof each lever engages one of the heads J while. the other end carries a roller a lying in the path of a wedge shaped contactor or cam S which moves longitudinally with a member A which latter is reciprocated by means of a suitableeccentric A acting through eccentric rod A on pin A which is carried by A The cam S is mounted in a dovetailed groove S in member A and is suitably A of the reciprocating member A the.

valve rod being suitably guided as at A".

The space I to the right of the low pressure piston constitutes an air compressor chamber having an air intake N valved at N, and a compressed air outlet valved at M. In the specific engine here illustrated, the air is caused to follow a sinuous course as it passes from the intake to the outlet of the compressor, this course being indicated by arrows in Fig. 1. The air is partly guided in its course by means of diaphragms or baflles F arranged Within. the, hollow pistons D and D as indicated in ,Figs. 1 and 4. The arrangement shown affords a means of internally cooling the high pres sure pistons.

'As before stated, air for the combustible charge is separately compressed before being mixed with the fuel. To this end, the discharge valve M of. the pump, or com-- pressor cylinder is connected to a tank M,

Fig. 5, by a pipe M". An escape valve M 15 connected to this pipe or to the tank as shown. A spring M* serves to regulate the pressure within the tank M, as will be readily understood. In this instance, the

tank M also serves as a fuel supply tank,

being partly filled with gasolene or other liquid fuel as shown in Figs. 5and 8. Leading from the tank M are two air pipes, O and O, the pipe 0 connecting with the space above the fluid level, and pipe 0' dipping into the fluid, which latter i fo ced on its way to the engine intake is preheated by the exhaust gases leaving the engine through exhaust pipe K. As here shown,

a said exhaust pipe surrounds a considerable length of air pipe K In the specific embodiment here illustrated, the gasolene pipe 0 leads to the nozzle or atonnzer by way Y.

of a flow controlling device, which will be more fully hereinafter described. The fuel may, however, be conducted to the device 0" directly from the tank M. In either case, the sucking action of the air rushing past the nozzle when drawn into the combustion chambers by the receding piston in either of the said chambers D or D draws acertain quantity of fuel through the valve- 7 controlled aperture whenever valve P, hereinafter described, will permit. 'Branch pipes X and Y lead from pipes O and 0- respectively, to the burner 0*. f

It is to be noted that the air pipe 0 enters the gasolene pipe 0 in the vicinity of the nozzle or. atomizer, terminating within the pipe 0 .as shown. The outlet aperture of the gasolene pipe is just beyond the end of the air pipe and isprovided with the shutoff valve P, which is pivoted at P within duct K between the nozzle and the engine,

and which has a foot I adapted, upon suitable actuation of the valve, to swing across the nozzle outlet 'apd reduce feed of fuel therefrom to a greater or less extent, thus affording variable obstruction to the flow of combustible mixture to the combustion chamber. The valve P may be automatically operated from any governing element,

as for example by the ordinary hit-or-miss mechanism here shown. In this instance, such mechanism comprises a finger P carried by a governor consisting of weight P pivoted at P to a suitable moving part A of the engine, said part A being reciprocated by means to be hereinafter described; The finger P is arranged to engage a notch P in a controlling arm which extends upwardly from the valve P and outside of the pipe K When the finger P moves forward in engagement with the notch P the valve is opened as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7. It is desirable in the present arrangement that the opening should obtain through about one-half of the stroke of the engine. A spring shown at P serves to return the valve P to its seat when released by finger P At sufficiently high spee'ds, the

,cut off the fuel supply, thus reducing the richness of the mixture passing to the engine intake as may be required. It is apparent that the feed of fuel from the nozzle may be further regulated and controlled by suitable adjustment of the throttle g. I have found that for the best results 'the' throttle 9 should be as near the outlet aperture as possible, especially for 'aduplex engine, or engine where the power strokes, are made to rapidly succeed each other.

7 From the foregoing it will beseen that on the intake stroke of either high pressure piston, airfrom the pipe 0 will enter the gasolene pipe near the discharge aperture of the latter, and will pass/out through said aperture in admixture with the liquid fuel in a substantially atomized condition. This rich 'mixture of air and fuel being discharged into air-supply pipe K through which air is passing to the engine intake, will be thereby diluted to form a-combustible mixture of the proper character for use in the high pressure or combustion cylinders. It is to be. noted that the primary current of air passing throughpipe O and the secondary current passing through pipe K [are both caused to travel by a common impelling means which, in this specific embodiment. of the invention, is the compressor. It should also be observed that not only are the fuel and atomizing :air maintained at superat mospheric pressure, but also that the body of air which receives the rich mixture thus attained is also at a pressure above that of the atmosphere.

Turning now to the flow regulating orconstant level device, which, as stated, may 105 be interposed between tank M and the noz-' zle device 0, this regulating device is shown in Figs. 6 and 8 as comprising 'a'covcred reservoir N into the top of which leads gasolene pipe 0 from the supply tank M. 110 From said reservoir an extension of pipe 0' (seen at the left of the tank in the draw ings) conducts fuel in regulated amounts to the nozzle device 0 above described. The reservoir is provided with .afloat controlling 115 an arm Q which is pivoted on link Q and which carries a stop valve Q, said valve being arranged to close the inlet end of pipe 0 when the level of liquid fuel in the tank has reached a predetermined height. This predetermined level is somewhat below that of'the discharge aperture of nozzle device M. The supply pipe 0' and drain pipe R notch R, which is adapted to be engaged by a finger R attached to pendulum R, which latter is pivoted to a reciprocating part of the engine A", as shown. The moving system connected with the valve is provided with a spring 1' working in opposition to finger R". A retarding device, such as a dash pot r, provided with a plunger 1' is attached to the moving system byarm r which is connected to the stem of valve R The spring r tends constantly to rotate the valves to the right to close 0 and open R, this motion, however, being slow because of the dash pot 1". When the engine is operating normally, however, the finger R repeatedly engages the notch R and maintains the valve in the position shown in Fig. 6. The arrangement is such that the finger R engages lever R only when the engine is operating, refusing it when the engine is at rest or running slowly. By means of the arangement just described, the small supply of liquid fuel contained in the reservoir N is automatically drained from the reservoir when the engine stops, and the supply of fuel to said reservoir is also cut off.

During the normal operation of the engine, liquid fuel is supplied to the reservoir N only as fast as the supply in said reservoir is depleted by the requirements of the engine. In order to dispose of fumes due to leakage of volatile fuel from the flow controlling device, or its connections, I provide a fume collecting casing N or deodorizer which surrounds the fuelconducting and controlling mechanism and from which leads conduit N to the intake N of the compressor. This hood or casing has an opening. at the top through which air is drawn to supply the engine, said opening being relatively remote from the point at which the I hood is connectedto'the conduit N. Consequently air drawn in through said opening circulates around the inclosed fuel controlling mechanism as indicated bythe arrows, rapidly evaporating and carrying off whatever small quantities of such fuel as may have escaped from the cooks, etc. and passing thence either directly or indirectly to the air induction passage or port K on its way to the engine intake. It will be readily understood that the deodorizer N could be connected to the induction port K of the engine instead of to the induction port of the pump or compressor as here shown. movement of the air to the combustion chambers D and D would in such case be produced by the movement of the pistons in said The chambers. In other words, when the deodorizeris connected directly to pipe K the withdrawing action of the pistons -D and D is utilized to move the air to the chambers D and D Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically an arrangement which may be used for operating the hit-or-miss mechanism controlling valve P, as well as for operating similar mechanism controlling valve R and R According to this arrangement an eccentric A on the engine shaft drives rod A, thereby oscillating a lever A 'which is pivoted by means of link A to stationary support A". Rod A pivoted to the upper arm of the lever, reciprocates member A, which is arrangedto slide on bracket or ways A, and thereby to actuate the mechanism comprising parts P P P etc., as above described. Rod A pivoted to the other arm of the lever, reciprocates member A, which is arranged to slide on bracket or ways A and to actuate the device comprising .parts R R, etc., whose operation has also been explained above. Eccentric A is so disposed angularly, on the shaft, and the relation and arrangement of the valve operating parts actuated thereby is such, as to secure proper timing of the valves in question.

The general operation of the engine is sufiiciently obvious from the foregoing description, but for the sake of clearness, the movements of the pistons will be traced through a complete cycle. Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 100 and 2, and a combustible charge just to have been drawn into the cylinder D by piston D on its preceding stroke to the left, the pistons will move as follows: Phase I: The pistons move to the right. The previously we inhaled combustible charge is compressed in D hot, partially expanded combustion gases pass from cylinder D through opened valve J and conduit J to the expansion cylinder; and these partially expanded gases 11c drive low pressure piston C toward the right. Phase 2: The compressed charge in D is ignited, driving piston D to the left on its working stroke, and combustible charge is drawn into cylinder D by the re- 115 ceding piston D; low pressure piston 0 drives out the low pressure exhaust through exhaust valve K. Phase 3: With the pistons again moving to the right, partially expanded-combustion gases are transferred 120 .from cylinder D to the low pressure cylinpressure exhaust out through valve K as before, the parts now being again in the position assumed at the beginning of phase 1.

The.operation of the other parts of the engine has been fully explained in connec' tion with the detailed description of said parts and need not be repeated.

, What I claim is:

1. In a combustion engine, thecombination, with acombustion chamber of a liquid fuel supply tank, means whereby the fuel may be mixed withan air supply to .form the combustion charge, a hood or casing inclosing at least a part of such mixing means and in communication with the atmosphere, and conduit means connecting the interior of said casing with said supply tank and with said combustion chamber, whereby air may pass through said casing and over the liquid in the supply tank to said combustion chamber. i

2. In a combustion engine, the combination, with a combustion chamber, of an air passage leading to said chamber, a supply tank affording a supply of liquid fuel under fluid pressure, conduit means arranged to conduct fuel fromsaid supply tank and discharge the same into said air passage, means located in said conduit, means for establishing and maintaining a substantially constant level of the liquid fuel prior to entry thereof into the air passage, such level being below that at which the fuel is discharged into said fuel supply tank, a fuel-feeding nozzle arair passage, and an air supply inlet opening into said air passage, and a common means for producmg super-atmospher c pressure for causing air to pass through both said air supply passageand said air supply inlet.

3. In a combustion engine, the combination, with a combustion chamber, of an air induction passage leading thereto, a liquid ranged to deliver fuel into said air passage, conduit means connecting said supply tank with said nozzle, a device located in said conduit means intermediate said tank and nozzle for regulating flow of liquid from the tank, and a casing inclosing said device and connected tosaid induction passage, said casing being open to the atmosphere at a point remote from its connection to the induction passage.

at. In a multi-cylinder heat engine having a common air induction passage for the cylinders, the combination with liquid fuel controlling devices for the engine, of a casing at least partially inclosing the fuel controlling devices and means of communication between the casing and said induction passage, whereby the engine may draw air through and from the-casing.

5. In a heat engine having an air induc tion passage, the combination with a duct containing a liquid fuel under superatmospheric pressure, of fuel-controlling and feeding devices connected to said duct, a

casing at least partially inclosing the fuel N controlling devices, and means of communication between the casing and the induction passage, whereby the engine may draw air through and from the casing.

6. In a multi-cylinder heat engine, the combination with liquid fuel controlling devices for the engine, of a casing for inclosing the fuel controlling devices, said casing having an air intake opening, and an air induction passage communicating with said casing at a point somewhat removed from said air intake opening and operatively connected to the charge intake of the engine, whereby the engine may draw air through and from the casing.

7. In a combustion engine, the combina-. tion, with a combustion chamber, of means for supplying liquid fuel to said chamber, a hood or casing inclosing at least a part of such fuel-supply means and in communication with the atmosphere, and conduit means connecting the interior of said casing with said combustion chamber, whereby air may pass through said casing to said combustion chamber.

8. In a four-cycle internal combustion engine, a liquid fuel supply tank, a combustion cylinder, a plston arranged to reciprocate therein, and mechanism arranged to supply combustible mixture to said cylinder on the intake stroke of said piston, said mechanism comprising a fuel nozzle, an air conduit arranged to guide a fuel-entraining current of air into operative proximity to said nozzle, and another conduit arranged to supply air for diluting the rich mixture obtained by such entrainment prior to entry into said combustion cylinder, atleast one of said air conduits being arranged to draw its'air supply from said supply tank.

9. In a charge-forming apparatus for in-i ternal combustion engines, the combination, with fuel supply means, of an im-pelling means, for passing a current of air in proximity to said fuel supply means to form a mixture of fuel and air, both the said fuel and air being at super-atmospheric pressure and an additional body of air with which said mixture is diluted.

10. In a charge-forming apparatus for internal combustion engines, the ,combination,-

with fuel supply means, of impelling means for passing a current of air in proximity to said cylinder, of a main air supply passage leading to said intake, a fuel feeding nozzle In testimony whereof I have signed this in said passage, an atomizing nozzle, a valve specification in the presence of two subscribcontrolhng sald nozzles and means governmg w1tnesses.

ing the operation of said valve and arranged 1 ELMER SPERRY. 5 to cause said valve to reduce the feed of fuel Witnesses:

from the nozzle at high speeds Without af- HARRY L. TANNER,-

fecting the main air supply. ELLA MICTZCIIELD. 

